Permanent deletion of important photos from your PC/laptop can put you in trouble. Such distressful experiences generally occur due to accidental deletion, formatting, virus attacks, system crashes, or other reasons. When you find any photo is permanently deleted on your device, don’t lose hope. Luckily, there are several photo recovery methods and tools available online that you can try to recover permanently deleted photos.
In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to recover permanently deleted photos from PC or laptop, so you can get your deleted photos back easily.
What Does Permanent Deletion Mean?
Usually when any file, including your photos, is deleted on any device it is moved to the Recycle Bin or Trash folder. When you delete these photos using the Shift + Delete key shortcut or even remove them from the Recycle Bin, they get permanently deleted. However, the file isn’t immediately removed from your hard drive. Instead, the space it was occupying will be marked as free for new data. This means the original file remains recoverable until new data overwrite it.
Preliminary Steps for Quick Photo Recovery
Before you apply photo recovery methods to restore your lost pictures, it’s important to consider some preliminary steps. This includes:
Stop Using the Device
As mentioned above, continued usage of your PC or laptop can overwrite the deleted photo and make the recovery process quite complex. As soon as you realize that photos are missing:
- Avoid adding new files: This reduces the risk of overwriting the deleted data.
- Stop all downloads and installations: Recovery is more likely if the original data hasn’t been overwritten by recently downloaded files or software.
Check the Recycle Bin Folder
Sometimes, your pictures are not actually permanently deleted from your PC/laptop. In such cases, you can easily restore them to the Recycle Bin folder. For this:
- Double-click on the Recycle Bin icon to open it.
- Go through the deleted pictures and select the photos you need to restore.
- Click the Restore option to save them back to your device.
How do I Restore Permanently Deleted Photos?
Now it’s time to proceed with adequate deleted photo recovery methods to restore your permanently deleted memories:
Method 01: Check Previously Created Backups
Both Windows and Mac OS provide different built-in Backup utilities that you can use to create backups of your important photos and to restore them when data loss occurs. Here’s how to recover permanently deleted photos from PC or laptop using these backup features:
File History (Windows)
If File History is enabled on your Windows device:
- Search for “Restore your files with File History” in the Start menu.
- Go to the folder where your deleted photo(s) was earlier stored.
- Use the arrow keys to navigate through previous versions of the folder and restore the desired version of deleted photos.
Time Machine (Mac)
Mac users can use built-in Time Machine backups to restore deleted photos:
- Open Time Machine and go to the folder where the deleted photos were earlier stored.
- Browse through backups and select the required files.
- Click Restore to save them back to your device.
Method 02: Restore Photos Using Cloud Services
Instances may occur when your laptop or PC is not synced with the built-in backup utilities. In such cases, you can try restoring your permanently deleted photos using cloud backups. Services like Google Photos, OneDrive, or iCloud may have automatically backed up your photos. To restore your lost pictures using Google Photos, you need to
- Launch the Google Photos app on your phone or visit Google Photos in a web browser. Sign in to your Google account.
- Browse through the Albums or scroll through the timeline to find your deleted pictures.
- Once you find the required picture, click the Download option (web) or Save to Device (app).
Method 03: Recover Photos Using Photo Recovery Software
What if all the above methods fail? It’s time to use a specialized photo recovery software. Tools like Stellar Photo Recovery allow you to easily restore your photos lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, virus attacks, or any other reason. Not only photos, you can use this versatile tool to recover your deleted video and audio files of multiple formats.
The Stellar Photo Recovery software supports the recovery of deleted multimedia files from various storage devices, including HDDs, SSDs, USBs, and many more. The software is compatible with both Windows and Mac devices; also supports the recovery of photos from Android devices and iPhones.
3 Steps to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos Using Stellar Photo Recovery:
Step 1: Download and install the Stellar Photo Recovery Software on your Windows PC/Mac. Launch the software and from the homepage, select the storage drive where your photo was earlier stored and click Scan.
Step 2: Once the scanning process is completed, preview the recoverable files and choose the photos you need to restore.
Step 3: Click the Recover button to save selected photos back to your device.
Method 04: Seek Professional Data Recovery Services
If all else fails, professional recovery services can help. These specialists use advanced tools to retrieve data from damaged or overwritten drives. However, this can be expensive and is usually a last resort.
When to consider these services:
- When your storage devices are physically damaged, for example: Cracked or water-damaged storage devices.
- When recovery is urgent and accuracy is critical.
- Files have been accidentally replaced (overwritten) with new data.
- RAID arrays, servers, or encrypted drives require expert handling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I recover photos without any third-party photo recovery software?
Yes, if backups exist or File History/Time Machine is enabled. Otherwise, photo recovery software is necessary.
Are deleted photos recoverable after months?
It depends on whether the data has been overwritten or the complexity of data loss. Recovery chances diminish over time.
Is it safe to use recovery software?
Reputable recovery tools like Stellar Photo Recovery are safe. Avoid downloading from unknown sources to protect against malware.
Can photos be recovered from a formatted drive?
Yes, with specialized tools like EaseUS or Stellar Photo Recovery, formatted drives can often be scanned for recoverable data.
Final Thought
Recovering permanently deleted photos from your PC or laptop may seem a challenging process but with the right photo recovery software and manual methods, you can get your pictures back. Start by checking backups and built-in features like File History or Time Machine. If those fail, rely on trusted recovery software. Acting quickly and avoiding overwriting data significantly improves recovery chances. Finally, implement robust backup systems to safeguard your precious memories in the future.
